Studies on anti-HCV in hepatocellular carcinoma with alcoholic cirrhosis

To investigate the causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC), the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was studied in 18 alcoholic cirrhosis with HCC. HBs antigen was negative in all cases. Anti-HCV antibody was assayed by the Ortho ELISA method. Anti-HCV was positive in 14 of 18 cases (77.8%). 3 cases (75%) of 4 anti-HCV negative cases continued to drink until the diagnosis of HCC, while 9 cases (63.8%) of 14 anti-HCV positive cases developed HCC during 1 to 10 years after abstinence. In the cases who continued to drink until the diagnosis of HCC (drinking cases), the mean age was 3 years younger in the anti-HCV positive case than that of negative case. In the anti-HCV positive case, the mean age was 6 years younger in the drinking cases than that of the cases who developed HCC after abstinence, however total alcohol consumption was significantly more in the drinking cases. These results suggest that the infection of HCV plays an important role for the development of HCC in ALC, especially in the case who developed HCC after abstinence.